THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Next week, the Senate will take up an
important priority for our Nation: comprehensive immigration reform.

Over the past few weeks, leaders from both parties have met at the White
House and on Capitol Hill to find areas of agreement and iron out our
differences. These meetings have been productive. We've been
addressing our differences in good faith, and we're building consensus.
Both Republicans and Democrats understand that successful immigration
reform must be bipartisan.

Democrats and Republicans agree that our current immigration system is
in need of reform. We agree that we need a system where our laws are
respected. We agree that we need a system that meets the legitimate
needs of workers and employers. And we agree that we need a system that
treats people with dignity and helps newcomers assimilate into our
society.

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FAQ

We must address all elements of this problem together, or none of them
will be solved at all. We must not repeat the mistakes that caused
previous efforts at immigration reform to fail. So I support a
comprehensive immigration reform bill that accomplishes five clear
objectives:

Second, we must hold employers to account for the workers they hire, by
providing better tools for them to verify documents and work
eligibility.

Third, we must create a temporary worker program that takes pressure off
the border by providing foreign workers a legal and orderly way to enter
our country to fill jobs that Americans are not doing.

Fourth, we must resolve the status of millions of illegal immigrants who
are here already, without amnesty and without animosity.

Finally, we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot.
Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of
our history, and an ability to speak and write the English language.
And the success of our country depends upon helping newcomers assimilate
into our society and embrace our common identity as Americans.

Coming together on a good bill that includes all five elements, we will
make America more secure. We will make our economy more competitive.
And we will show the world that America can be a lawful society and a
welcoming society at the same time.

Reforming our immigration system is an important opportunity to show
that elected officials in Washington can work together to find practical
solutions to the problems that matter most. I thank the Senators who
have been working hard on this issue. I am optimistic we can pass a
comprehensive immigration bill and get this problem solved for the
American people this year.